Building better blogs

Last night I participated in my first AgChat, which is a weekly conversation via Twitter (#agchat) for folks involved in the business of growing food, fuel, feed and fiber. It takes place every Tuesday from 8 to 10 p.m. EST. It was created by @mpaynknoper and assisted by @agchatfound. (For more information visit http://agchat.org). Unfortunately I arrived late to the conversation as I was busy earlier in the evening, but I still walked away with an abundance of knowledge. This week’s topic was blogging.

I believe one of the best skills a person can have is the willingness to learn from others. Being able to admit that you don’t know everything and you’re willing to learn is important. As a new blogger, I’ll admit that I have much to learn. And last night I was able to learn from several blog masters. Here’s some of what I learned during the AgChat conversation on blogging:

• Non-ag posts are what connect to non-ag audiences often times. Don’t only blog about ag. Be yourself.
• Set an example, reach out, show results.
• When you are in the mood to blog, capitalize on it and tap that keyboard.
• When you think of ideas, start draft ag blogs. Pick them up as you find time.
• Try to shorten the length of your posts so you have more time to visit other blogs to comment. This also helps gain readership.
• If you’re serious about blogging, try an editorial calendar.
• Comments are candy. Time to comment on other blogs is key.
• Don’t intimidate the reader.
• A lot of folks are curious about production agriculture. Use ag blogs as a way to gain transparency.
• Being respectful and not being condescending is critical in going beyond the choir.

I encourage people to participate in the weekly AgChat conversations. It’s a way to connect with people in the ag industry, ask questions and learn from others.